Rail joint



W. SIPES Aug. 30, 1927. 1,641,014

RAIL JOINT Filed Dec. 9, 1926 INVENTOR ATTO R N EY Patented Aug. 30, 1927.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM SIPES, OF SHELBYVILLE, INDIANA. I

RAIL .ioIN'r.

Application filed December 9, 1926. Serial No. 153,648;

This invention relates to a rail joint, the general object of the invention being to provide a spring clamp for connecting the endsof two rails together with a casinglike supporting member for receivinga portion of the clamp and which is adapted to be fastened to a pair of ties.

A further object of the invention is to so form the clamp that the weight of a train on the rails will cause the clamp to grip more firmly the ends of the rails and thus prevent relativemovement of the rails or spreading of the rails.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tool for spreading the two parts of the clamp in order to remove the rails or insert them in the clamp. p

This invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to be hereinafter tullydescribed, illustrated. in the accompanying drawings and claims.

specifically pointed out in the appended In describing my invention in detail, ref

erence will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughoutthe several views, and in which Figure 1 is a plan vie-wot the device showing the same in use and with the rail webs in section.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional View through the device with the rails in elevation.

' Figure Figure 2. v

Figure 4 is a fragmentary bottom plan viewshowing the hinge construction of the clamp.

As shown in these views, I provide a casing-like supporting member 1 which has extensions at its ends which are adapted to rest upon a pair or ties A and to be spiked to the ties by spikes passing through the notches 2 formed in the extensions. As seen, the supporting member bridges the space 3 is a section on line 3-3 of between two ties and the rail joint is ar ranged above said space. Each end of each.

rail B is formed with a pair of holes 4: so that the four holes in the abutting ends of a pair of rails will come above thechamber formed in the supporting member 1. The clamp is composedof two sections 6 and 7 which are hingedly connected together at their lower ends by having a rod 8 passing through the laterally extending tongues 9,

the tongues of one section lying in recesses side of the base and one wall of the web 7 of a rail, the upper end of each section coming uneer the headot the rail. The upper parts of the sections are formed with the inwardly extending projections 12 which are adapted to pass tl'irou gh the holes a in the rails.

The clamp is opened and the abu in ends of a pair of rails placer. therein so that the holes will register with the projections 12. Thus when the clamp is closed, the proections will enter the holes, as shown in Figure 1, and the two sections of the clamp will engage the rail ends tl'irough means of the spring pressure. The parts 11 of the clamp arethen placed in the chamber formed in the member 1 orthe rails can be placed in the clamp while the same is resting in the said chamber. In order to permit the clamp to be opened while in engagement with the supporting member, I provide grooves 13 in the side flanges 14 oi the supporting member which will permit the rounded outer portions of the sections to move downwardly a sufiicient distance to permit the clamp to open so that the rails can be placed therein. After the rails are put in place they are spiked down in the usual manner and this will hold the clamp in its supporting member and the rail ends cannot be separated from the clamp or the clamp withdrawn from its supporting member until the spikes are removed to permit the rail ends to be lifted sni'liciently to open the clamp or to remove it from its supporting member.

I provide wear plat-es 15 on' the end tensions of the member-1 upon which rails rest, each plate having a guiding 16 at each side thereof for engaging edges of the base of a rail.'

In order to permit the clamp to be opened, I provide a pair of members 17, one of which is provided with a threaded hole through which av threaded shaft 19 passes, the end of the shaft being fastened to the other menn ber so that when the shaft is turned by its eX the rib the handle 20, the liitlilbtir} wiii either he moved apart or toward ezteh other according: to the three-{inn 0i meren'ient of the shaft. It guiding pin 82%. is carried by one member end passes through a hole in the other member to keep the members in alignment. Each memher is: provided with :24 depending; pert which is adapted to he pieced in :1 iitilltii0- like ieep 52:3 imeteiied to each section 01 the chimp so iillltl as the member; are meted apart they will open the ehurip, es wiil he HHtiClrSiiOOti.

Frem the foregoing; it will be seen that the supporting phite film ihtiiilifiii to a pair 121 ties 11ml then the ehimp is: opened by the (peeing; tent to permit the rail ends to he hit-wt therein. Bis )etere teti, the ehanigi can he ieet'ene-ii to the hits hetere being]; phieett in the supporting; inemher er t can he eemieeteri with the rei while hehrr: wpperted by said meh hrr. .271: the iiiiw eif the teei are moved tee-11rd, eeeh otheiu eprinn s Wiii reuse the heetiehh of the chimp to eiese and thus "rip the rails. .ihe rail-A Thus I have 11 are then spiked t0 the ties. lJltwitiO/Ii simple menus; for fastening the reii Wis tmrether and slit-h mum wiii firmly held the rails in phire.

it it? thought irmn the tiereegoingx thiaiription that the advantages and nm'el features of my im'ehtinn will he IGtltiii'V :1 ppurent.

I tiQ- iie it to he tHMiLlttOOti the 1 nm nmhe (tenures in the eunrairmztien and in the emnhienticm and arrangementof the Feverai parts, provided that such changes tall with in the scope of the appended claims.

iVhat I ehiim iez-- l. rnii joint hemher having;- ii ehzmiher therein, a clamp ifm :himpihe; together the abutting ends of :1 0i. l'zijiifii, mid ehmip hiring :1, Ire pending; pirtien fitting in the chamber Mitt 1: nets '0 imhi the ei 351]) in cieeed posit r and when the mile are spiked (town the r rump will he heh'i in this ei amber.

A mil, 'jeiiit eenrprising a supporting memher having;- zi ehzilhhei. therein and adapted to bridge the space between two ties with its ends; fastened to the ties, :1 time eh: ipiirg; te;. ;ethei. the nhuttil'ie;

Ier ends 01]: pair wt" miis, exiiti ehih'ip halving :r (it"f":(,litiiii{jf portion iittiiigr in the 01121111170! whiuh air-hi te huhi the chimp in (humping ier-iiien tll'lti when the rail are spiked Clown himp will he hehi in thiw chamber. said emnprisine; two eetieha; hinged to M t we? s; rin e; means fer holding the ififlp in eieeeti vo ition.

It mi! jnin' eemprieih :I, supporting ilitlili r heri r rhmnher therein, :1 clamp ier eizneipimr h ier the abutting)? ends of :1 air 01. mil;- hiii ehuhp herine; :1 portion iiti m the ehemher S!) that- When the rim are l down the ehunp Wtii he hehl t w this ehzmihe Haiti chimp cen'l 'nrieing; twn

swetioes hinged. together, spring means for hot m; the chimp 111 (Jit'JISGCi position zmri ezr'h i when hiivmgr pre eetiehs; thereon for en Lg ihgj: hoies in the :iiii.

in twat imeny whereof I nii'i; my blglllillfltl.

W ILLI A M SI 19E iii.

comprising; 11 supporting 

